Peru, if it didn't exist, then travel guide books would have to invent it. It's a land of lost cities and ancient ruins, brooding Andean peaks and trashy urban beaches. It's a land of dense jungles and overcrowded cities, mysterious Incan rites and Roman Catholic masses, practising shamans and dashboard Virgin Marys, Shining Path guerrillas and ex-shoeshine-boys for president. It's like the whole world in a snow globe.

Best time to visit

June to August.

Essential experiences

arriving at Huayna Picchu, above Machu Picchu, just as the sun rises; sinking into the hot springs at Aguas Calientes after hiking to Machu Picchu; getting a bird's eye view of the Nazca Lines; visiting the islands of Lake Titicaca; hiking in the Cordillera Blanca; walking through Cuzco over ancient cobblestones and past walls built by the Incas.

In a few words, Peru is

Panpipes, quirky hats, religious iconography, Incan ruins, llamas, the Andes, colourful textiles, jungles, and 16th-century Spanish architecture and artefacts.

Did you know?

Peru is a great destination for skiing and snow boarding and Peruvian women wear multiple petticoats under brightly coloured taffeta dresses.